October 25, 2004
Theology -- Four Year Old Style
Theology -- Four Year Old Style
It sometimes amazes me what comes out of my four year old's mouth -- and not because he's usually saying stuff I don't want to hear -- usually I just marvel at how interesting he is and all the thoughts that the little chipmunks inside his head are processing.
Obviously he thinks about religion and God more than I realized. Here are some observations and questions from the past week or so.
On God:
The Boy: Do you think God has a wife?
Me: We never hear about one in the Bible, so probably not.
The Boy: But he made a wife for Adam so he wouldn't be lonely, so He probably has one Himself.
On the End of the World:
The Boy: When will the world cease to exist?
Justin: We don't know.
The Boy: Well, why will it?
Justin: God has a plan to create a new perfect world without the flaws in the this one.
The Boy: I like this world.
Justin: God is going to make a new, clean world some day.
The Boy: Will our house get destroyed? I think it is clean enough.
On Polytheism:
If God is everywhere, that's almost like having many gods. That's probably why the Greeks thought there were a lot of gods.
I liked the one about the house being clean enough as it is.
Kids...
Posted by: Terry Oglesby at October 25, 2004 01:52 PMHis expectations of cleanliness are obviously low after almost five years of living with me.
Posted by: Jordana at October 25, 2004 01:55 PMI think he said that the house was clean enough just so God wouldn't take his house away. I like the idea of a new clean world, especially one that cleans itself.
It gave me a chuckle to think how a radical feminist might have answered the one about God having a wife:
No, but She may have a husband!
[PS God isn't lonely because He has the Son and Holy Spirit with Him - unless you don't believe in the Trinity.]
Posted by: MarcV at October 25, 2004 03:16 PMUh oh. I think you guys are in biiiiiiiig trouble down the line if he's starting with this so early!
Posted by: Grouchy Old Yorkie Lady at October 26, 2004 06:00 AMI think the boy is smarter than many adults I've met. One of the commentaries on the Torah reading we did a few weeks back noted that Polytheism was an outgrowth of early humanity's service to God. Humans started out acknowledging that the sun, moon, stars etc. were God's handiwork, but over time began treating them as deities instead. So I think the boy is not far off there.
And thanks for the hat tip to us non-trinitarians there, Marc :P
Posted by: skinnydan at October 26, 2004 08:14 AM
Jordana Adams, Chief Pontificator